The Assistant
by CharlyMarieChip
Summary: Re-publishing: Snape has requested an assistant, but has no idea what he has gotten himself into. Snape/OC...very AU DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS. THEY BELONG TO J.K. ROWLING
1. Chapter 1

"Today's the big day." Charly whispered to herself as she packed a few last minute things. She was going to Hogwarts for the first time, but not as a student. She was going to be a teaching assistant, and this was her first time in England. She had excelled at Potions and History of Magic, but the potions professor was the one who had requested an assistant. Charly was required to undergo a thorough background check in order to get the job. The staff had asked many questions about her past and whether or not she was or ever had been associated with the Death Eaters. She finished packing and then apparated to Platform nine and three-quarters. She was fifteen minutes early and found an empty compartment in the back of the train. Charly made herself comfortable and saw a flurry of students rushing to the doors as the horn tooted. While she was staring out of her window two boys knocked on the compartment door.

"Excuse me? Do you mind if we sit here?" the messy-haired boy asked.

"Not at all." Charly replied and the two boys sat down, "My name is Charly Chip."

"My name is Harry Potter, and this is Neville Longbottom." He said and Charly merely smiled. She of course knew the importance of Harry, but she did not want to make him feel uncomfortable.

"What year are you in?" Neville asked curiously and Charly stared blankly at him.

"Are you in your 7th year?" Harry added and then Charly started laughing.

"Ha ha, that's very flattering boys!" she laughed and noticed their confused expressions, "I'm going to be an assistant to one of the professors."

"Ohhhhh…then what are you going to be teaching?" Neville asked once he understood what she meant.

"Potions with…I think it's Professor Snape." She said and Harry groaned.

"Snape is the worst professor at Hogwarts." He mumbled and Neville nodded.

"Aw, he can't be that bad!" Charly tried to lighten the mood, but Harry shook his head.

"But he is. He doesn't like anyone who isn't in Slytherin, and he doesn't give us a chance for effort." Harry explained and Charly's stomach churned.

"_Could he really be that bad_?" she thought to herself then said, "Well, I'll do my best to help you then." And with that, the two boys smiled. The trolley eventually made it to their compartment and they each bought their own candy. Harry and Neville gave Charly the inside scoop on Hogwarts as the train ride progressed, but towards the end the boys left to change into their robes.

"We'll see you at the feast." Harry said as he was leaving.

"You'll love it." Neville commented and then they were gone. Charly looked at she was wearing herself, and saw a purple dress with a white cardigan. She cast a spell on the door to lock it, and another to make sure no one could see inside. As fast as she could, she changed into her best black robes and by the time she finished the train was slowing down. Charly took the charms off the door and bolted to the closest exit. She was the first one off the train and since she was a professor, in a sense, she was transported into the castle before any student stepped foot on the grounds. Charly walked through the enormous double doors into the entry hall and was greeted by Professor McGonagall.

"May I help you?" she asked and Charly was a bit surprised that she didn't already know her.

"Um…hello, my name is Charly Chip. I'm the assistant for potions." She said, and in return received an awkward smile.

"Welcome to Hogwarts…erm…if you'll follow me, I'll introduce you to Severus." McGonagall said and, of course, Charly obeyed. The pair strolled into the Great Hall and Charly was in awe as she looked around. At the front of the room was a long table, and they stopped in front of it.

"Ahem…Severus, this is your assistant." She said and Charly looked at the man that stood before her. He was a good three inches taller than her with pale skin and jet black hair.

"Hello," Charly squeaked putting her hand out, but Snape just looked at her skeptically.

"I thought 'Charlie' was a male name." he said coldly.

"My real name is Charlotte, but I've been called Charly throughout my whole life." She said slightly turning pink and putting her hand back at her side, but then students started coming into the castle. Snape pointed to the seat next to him, and Charly sat down graciously. She watched as the students sat down at their tables and noticed a few taking notice of her and pointing with their friends. After everyone was sitting, a group of very short students followed Professor McGonagall to the front of the staff table. They were each sorted into their houses and then the feast started when Dumbledore clapped his hands twice. Food appeared in front of Charly, and her heart leapt. She made sure everyone else around her had food on their plates before she took some for herself.

"Are you skilled at potions?" Snape asked suddenly and Charly nodded.

"I received top marks in America." She replied, but there was silence in return. It stayed like that between the two the rest of their meal. Charly glanced over at Snape every once in a while, but he didn't seem to notice. Once everyone had finished eating, Dumbledore stood up and nobody spoke.

"Now that we have had yet another wonderful feast I think it wise to give a few announcements. First years will recognize that the dark forest is out of bounds." He announced and continued with a list from Argus Filch. "You will also notice there is a new face upon us, here, at the staff table. Ms. Chip – please stand up – will be assisting Professor Snape in potions." All the students clapped and a few cat calls could be heard. Harry and Neville waved at her and she gave a quick wave of acknowledgment before sitting back down. The students started going back to their dormitories, but Charly was too busy looking at Snape. He was quite intimidating, and the Harry's previous warning was ringing in her head.

"Ms. Chip please follow me." He said with no emotion, trying to ignore the fact that she was blatantly staring at him. Charly followed him down into the dungeons and then into a spacious dormitory. One wall was covered in shelves with books galore, while the other with bottles and vials of potions. There were also two beds, each at one side of the room. Snape noticed her gawking at the books, rolled his eyes, and sighed, "I was expecting a man, but if you would like I could conjure up a wall around your bed." Charly naively took this as a challenge.

"No, no need for a wall. I can handle it." She said and then added, "Unless you need a wall." Snape was a bit taken aback at this comment, but just scoffed.

"I assure you, I can handle much more than you." His lips curled into a cynical smile, but she wouldn't let her confidence falter. She started unpacking her clothes into one of the dressers and continued talking to Snape.

"So, what do you plan on teaching for the first lesson?" she asked as she closed her suitcase.

"I usually do a short review to see what they remember from the previous year, but for the first years I just make them take notes." Snape explained and eyed Charly. She nodded and then sat down on her bed.

"And how do you grade the students?" she asked remembering Harry's comment earlier.

"Unlike most, I grade them on comprehension rather than completion…or, as some would call it, _effort_." He retorted, and Charly sensed that he knew something.

"Well, how do you know if they _really _comprehend it," Charly started to ask, but Snape cut her off.

"Are you the new Rita Skeeter, Ms. Chip?"

"No need to snap. Just a question." Charly mumbled and then went into the bathroom to change. She looked around and saw a dark, dreary room with a sink, toilet, and a large shower tub. Charly changed into a two-piece pajama set, brushed her teeth, and stepped out of the bathroom. Snape was nowhere to be found, but she just put her dirty garments into the hamper. "_I wonder where he is_…" she thought to herself as she crawled into bed. She yawned the idea away until Snape came in and went into the bathroom. A few minutes later he emerged from the bathroom in his black pajamas, and blew out the candles that lit the room. He got into his bed as quietly as possible, thinking Charly was asleep, and adjusted himself under the covers.

"Goodnight Professor." She said loudly breaking the silence, and laughed quietly.

"Goodnight Ms. Chip." He replied and eventually the two of them fell asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Charly woke up the next morning to water running in the bathroom. She sat up in her bed and rubbed her eyes until she could see clearly. She coughed purposely to break her own silence and started laughing. The water stopped running and a few moments later Snape appeared in the door frame fully clothed.

"I would love to know how you do that!"Charly attempted to compliment the man, but Snape just stared at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Breakfast is in a half hour, so I'd get ready if I were you." He said and then sat down on the couch.

"So I'd get ready if I were you." Charly mocked as she closed the bathroom door, "I'll show him how to get ready fast." She took out her wand and turned the shower on, then took off her clothes. She felt the water to make sure it was warm, and then stepped in. Charly washed her hair and body in a record breaking five minutes, and afterwards hurried out. She took her wand and dried her hair straight, and then got dressed into a mid-calf skirt and green sweater. As fast as she could, she cleaned up the bathroom and opened the door to see Snape sitting on the couch reading a text book.

"I underestimated you. You were done a whole 20 minutes earlier than I thought you'd be." He said without looking up from the book. Charly gaped at him and then smiled discreetly.

"Shouldn't judge so quickly," she attempted to be coy, but her confidence deflated when she received no response. "Where are you going?" she asked as Snape stood up, and started following him.

"To breakfast, where else?"

"Why are you going so early?"

"This way I can patrol the corridors."

"What do the students do that makes you have to patrol the corridors?"

"They have the tendency to…misbehave."

"But what…" Charly started, but then she had a finger in front of her face.

"Ms. Chip, you don't need to _bombard _me with questions." Snape snapped. Charly moved out of the way of his finger and looked him straight in the eye, anger running through every single one of her veins.

"I think I'll go to breakfast myself then, Professor!" she stormed off, but Snape caught himself smirking. Charly looked back and noticed the smirk on his face, and then she gave him a rude hand gesture. Snape's smirk turned into a chuckle, but then Charly was out of eyesight. "_Does he _honestly _find that funny_?" she screamed in her head, and then saw Harry with two of his friends. She walked past them unnoticed and made her way to the staff table.

"Good morning Charly." Dumbledore greeted and noticed her anger, "Is everything alright?"

"Yes sir, everything is just fine." She strained a smile.

"Surely something is agitating you? Perhaps you should talk to _him_?"

"After what just happened, I don't think I want to talk to _him _ever again."

"So there is a problem…" Dumbledore smiled and Charly gasped. She gave him a look of disbelief and he said, "I know of many things Charly." Mystified by his knowledge she looked down to try and figure him out, but when she looked back up he wasn't there. Charly ate her food alone and then went back to the dungeons without seeing Snape. She noticed some of the first years in the classroom already. They stopped talking when Charly was at the front of the room. "You can keep talking. Class hasn't officially started," she paused and then mumbled, "and Professor Snape isn't here yet." A few minutes passed and Snape still wasn't there, and there were only two more minutes until class started. Once the class was full and the signal sounded Charly rose and the room fell silent.

"Good morning class. As you may know, I'm Professor Chip and this is potions." A few students snickered in the back, "now that I've stated the obvious for you two back there, you will open your book to page one. Professor Snape did not leave me a lesson plan so bear with me." She laughed at herself and then one of the students raised their hand. "Yes?"

"Where _is _Professor Snape?" the boy asked.

"That, my dear boy, is an excellent question. I don't know where he is, myself." She replied and continued with her lesson, "Read chapter one and take notes on whatever you feel is interesting. Keep in mind I expect at least six inches of parchment. When you're done bring it up to me, and when everybody is done, unless Professor Snape returns, you can have the rest of the period to chat." With that the whole class put their nose to the book and Charly sat down waiting for one of them to finish. After 20 minutes a small boy with glasses walked up to her with his notes and she smiled at him. He blushed as he walked back to his seat and then a few more people brought up their papers, and within ten minutes the rest of the class had turned them in. "Was it easy?" Charly asked and then there were mumbles throughout the room. "As promised you may all talk amongst yourselves now." The class slowly started to increase their volume when Snape threw the door open causing the room to fall completely silent.

"What have they been doing besides," he paused and looked around the room, "talking?"

"Well, you see, I had them read chapter one in the book and write six inches of parchment on what they thought was interesting about it." Charly explained.

"On what they _thought _was _interesting_?" Snape repeated.

"Did I stutter?" Charly replied slightly annoyed and the class started smiling.

"No, but why would be of any use to me to know what they 'thought' was interesting?"

"Maybe because it would be easier for them to learn if they actually enjoyed what you were teaching them!"

"Who do you think you are?"

"Professor Snape, you don't need to bombard _me _with questions." And with a feeling of triumph she left the dungeon. Snape was left speechless in the room; he had never felt like that before. He dismissed class and ran after Charly, but didn't know where she went. He took a right and then saw her robes billowing behind her as she walked.

"Ms. Chip! Ms. Chip, I am calling you!" he yelled and Charly finally listened.

"What do you want?" she asked as she whipped around to stare at him. For the first time Snape noticed that her eyes were a murky green color, but he could of sworn he saw red in them. Quickly he came back to reality and tried to scold her.

"For what you did back there, I should have you sacked," Snape started and noticed her confidence deflate some. He actually pitied her and said, "But since it is only your first day and that was a clever display, I will let it slide." Charly was so relieved that she could have hugged Snape, but thought that would be pushing her luck. Her confidence built up again and she smiled.

"I knew you wouldn't sack me." She beamed, "You can't resist _this_!"

"The temptation is killing me." He said unenthusiastically, and Charly rolled her eyes. The two walked back to the dungeons as all the students started filing out of their classrooms. The next class went by a lot easier, but the students were expecting an argument that the first years had described. After that class was dismissed the two of them had a free period before lunch.

"This is quite stressful." Charly sighed and then sat down in one of the desks. Snape was grading some of the papers from the first years and glaring at the results.

"Some of the students wrote about insignificant topics." He said reading a paper from Henry Jacobson.

"What does it say?" Charly asked and Snape handed her the paper, "Potions for me is uninteresting and unnecessary. The things I find important are Quidditch and health. Without health there would be no Quidditch and…" The paper went on about his interest in Quidditch.

"This is why I don't care much about what they think is interesting." Snape stated and Charly gaped at him.

"Things like this should be taken into account though." She said changing the look on her face to make it more professional. "You should give him a 'P' and tell him to stay on the topic assigned."

"Why not give him a 'D'?"

"He at least told you that he thought potions was uninteresting." She stated matter-of-factly, and Snape shot her a glare. They continued to grade papers, and finished right when lunch began.

"Shall we go to lunch, Ms. Chip?" he asked as she put her last remark on the paper.

"Yeah, just let me put this paper away and then we'll go." Charly said standing up. She put the paper on Snape's desk and pushed the hair out of her face. She followed him down the dark corridor and then into the Great Hall. The journey was in silence and Charly tripped over her robes a few times since Snape walked so fast. Once they reached the staff table and had food on their plates Snape started speaking.

"How's your first day going?" he surprised himself

"Had a rough start," she laughed and noticed a smirk on his face, "but all in all it's been nice and enjoyable."

"I'm glad to hear that." A familiar voice said. When Charly looked around she saw Dumbledore smiling as he sat down for lunch. Snape finished eating and stood up, but Charly hadn't finished.

"I'll go get the classroom ready for the next class." He said as he left. Charly was smiling as she watched him leave and Dumbledore took notice.

"I noticed you two are seeing eye to eye now." He smiled but didn't make eye contact.

"Yes, he almost sacked me, but then he said I was clever." She put on a puzzled look, "Strange, right? He doesn't seem like the person to comment like that."

"Maybe you two are seeing more than eye to eye." His words came out almost in rhythm, but Charly's face screwed up.

"I'm not sure I understand what you're saying," Charly took the last bite of her food and stood up to leave.

"In due time my child."

"Alright, sir. Have a nice day."

"Good day Charly." Dumbledore said and then Charly left at a rather speedy pace. She was almost out of the Great Hall when Harry, Ron, and Hermione stopped her.

"Ms. Charly, is it true that you and professor Snape had a fight during class?" Harry asked not sure whether to smile or look serious.

"Um…we did have a bit of an argument, but no physical violence." She explained awkwardly and then looked at Ron and Hermione.

"Oh, these are my friends Ron, and Hermione." Harry introduced the two people standing silent in front of Charly.

"Pleasure meeting you, but I have to go help Professor Snape prepare for the next class."

"We'll see you there," Ron said, "We're in that class." With that Charly nodded and then headed toward the dungeons at her speedy pace. She walked in and was relieved to find Snape sitting at his desk. He was cleaning up his desk a little when he noticed her.

"Hello Ms. Chip, good to know you finished your lunch," he paused and looked up at her, "finally." Charly made her way over to his desk and gingerly drummed her fingers on the edge of it.

"So, are we brewing a potion next class?" she asked hopefully and when Snape nodded she beamed.

"The students should start arriving soon now." He said as he went underneath his desk. Charly was swinging her wand around absentmindedly as she pondered of what potion they would be brewing. Whilst she was swinging her wand Snape's sleeve became attached to the bottom of the desk.

"What are you doing down there anyway?" Charly asked peering curiously over the desk.

"I dropped a vile of beetle's eyes, and I need that for the potion." He said and then he found it. He tried to get up, but ended up collapsing back down. Charly couldn't contain her laughter, but rushed to his aid.

"What happened?" she looked at him and then saw his attached sleeve, "Okay…how did _that_ happen?"

"I'm not sure…do you know how to unattach it without ripping my robes?" he mumbled and then Charly flicked her wand, but got_ herself_ stuck to the desk,

"Oh…now that's not fair." She said turning a light pink. By this time the students were starting to come in, and wondering where the professors were. Snape growled at Charly and she smiled uneasily.

"_This is going to be a great story to tell the family._" Charly thought to herself as she slapped her head with her hand that was holding her wand. Somehow she had unattached her sleeve.

"Do that to me at once!" Snape demanded in a hushed whisper.

"I just wasn't focusing…I don't know how I did it…" she said and then tried to free him, but ended up tearing his robe in the process. She gasped and the whole class looked around. "Sorry Professor! Reparo!" As if it were "magic" Snape's robes were as good as new. He quickly stood up to greet the students as he usually did, but received strange looks from them. To make it worse Charly stood up and the class gave each other looks.

"Looks like Snape's assistant isn't _only_ good at potions." Malfoy snickered to a girl next to him.

"Excuse me, you, with the blonde hair. What is your name?" Charly asked right after his comment.

"Draco Malfoy." He replied with a devilish grin.

"I would expect you to keep your _dirty_ comments to yourself. Five points from your house." She said calmly but had a look like she meant it. Harry started laughing but Snape hushed him.

"Today we are going to be brewing a very dangerous potion so I suggest you be extra careful." He shot a look at Neville and then with the flick of his wand the ingredients and page number were on the chalk board.

"What potion are they making?" Charly asked Snape

"If they do it correctly, they should end up with Maximus Elixir." he replied, monitoring the classroom with his beady eyes. Already he could see students making mistakes, except for Hermione. Charly walked to Neville, who was having some difficulty extracting the right amount of snake venom. Once she got him sorted out, she walked back to where Snape was and sat down.

"How do you think they're doing?" she asked

"I'd say that if you hadn't helped Longbottom, the room would be on fire." He said and continued to observe the room, "Ms. Granger, if Mr. Weasley wishes to pass this class then he'd better get the answers himself. He won't always have you around to help him." The frizzy hair girl turned pink with embarrassment and Charly walked next to her.

"Hey, just a little reassurance, I used to help my friends all the time." She said with a wink and Hermione smiled. All of a sudden there was a high pitched whistling coming from Ron's cauldron causing Charly to jump.

"Weasley! What did you do?" barked Snape

"I…all I d-did was add w-water, s-sir." He trembled and then Snape's eyes widened.

"Everybody out! Get out!" he yelled and ushered the kids out of the room. Charly, too, helped but then took out her wand and cast a spell on the cauldron. The whistling stopped and the two professors went in for a closer look, but then the potion exploded. Charly screamed and she flew back and hit her head on a table, and Snape was knocked down to the floor. The two of them were unconscious as the students came back in.

"My potion killed the professors." Ron groaned and put his face in his hands.

"Not quite, Weasley." Snape grunted as he wobbled to stand up. He limped his way over to where Charly was and saw that she was still unconscious. He felt for a pulse and was relieved when he found it, and then he picked her up. "Class…dismissed…" he said but none of the students left. They made way for him, and then followed him to the hospital wing.

"Hello Severus…oh my! What happened?" Madame Pomfrey gasped as she saw the woman in his arms.

"A potion exploded and she must have hit her head on the table she landed on." He said and then Charly started moving in his arms.

_She opened her eyes and saw a scary greasy haired git named Snape. She screamed until he dropped her, and because of her condition she died…..lol I'm only joking…or am I? haha_

When she opened her eyes she couldn't see anything but blurry figures, and her mind was in a confused state.

"Don't let go…" she whispered faintly and then became limp again. The students that had followed were crowding the entrance until Madame Pomfrey shooed them away.

"Put her down on a cot, and I'll fix her something." She said and then went into her office. Snape did as he was told and then sat down at the foot of the bed. Snape stared at Charly and watched her inhale and exhale. A few minutes later Madame Pomfrey came back with a pair of bottles on a tray. "She'll need to drink this one now," she said handing him a small bottle with a spoon, "Then this one once she wakes up." She put the second one on the nightstand with a rather large cup.

"How exactly am I supposed to give this to her?"

"Seriously, I would think you of all people would know!" she said in an annoyed tone, "Put a spoonful in her mouth then rub her throat…gently." She walked to tend to the other patients and Snape looked at Charly awkwardly.

"You'd better be grateful for this." He muttered as he poured the green liquid into the spoon. He opened her mouth with his free hand and then carefully tipped the spoon. He rubbed Charly's throat until she swallowed it and was startled when she started coughing. She covered her mouth and then her eyes shot open.

"Agh! Is that vomit!?" she shouted not knowing where she was. Charly then looked around and turned pink, "Sorry…" She looked at Snape and gave him an awkward smile.

"Looks like you're back to normal." He said unemotionally and then explained what had happened.

"Okay, now I'll need you to drink a cup of this." Madame Pomfrey explained as she handed Charly the bottle that was on the nightstand. She noticed the facial expression on Charly from the last potions she drank an added, "Don't worry, it doesn't have a bitter taste." The frown on Charly's face immediately turned into a grin. The liquid that was poured into the cup was a pink color and tasted like chocolate.

"Wow…she wasn't kidding." Charly smiled sheepishly and continued to sip at the drink.

"You just need to drink that cup and then you can leave." Madame Pomfrey said and then left. Charly looked at Snape and gave him a large smile, but he only managed a split second grin.

"Well," she started and fiddling with the comforter, "I just wanted to say…thank you."

"You're welcome." Snape answered rather quickly and then stood up. Charly finished the rest of the potion and stood up next to him. She was taking in the height difference when he noticed her staring at him.

"You're really tall." Charly blurted out and then looked down at her feet. Snape wasn't exactly sure how to react, but decided to blame it on the potion. He started walking out of the Hospital Wing and Charly followed. They took the shortest way possible back to the dungeons and got ready for the next class. Their last classes went by so fast that it seemed as if they had done nothing. After the last class had left Charly started cleaning the tables on the left side of the room.

"I'll do the right side," Snape offered and then Charly raised an eyebrow, "Just to save time." She smiled and continued to clean the left side of the room.

"Um…what exactly did Mr. Weasley add to the potion?"

"Water…it doesn't mix well with the venom."

"Wow," she sighed and then a thought occurred to her, "Hey, why weren't you knocked out with me?"

"I merely fell to the ground, you _flew_ onto a table." He said pointing to the table she landed on. She let out another sigh and then shrugged. "You know you were speaking in your unconsciousness."

"Really, what was I saying?" Charly asked and then Snape flustered.

"I…erm…I couldn't make out what you said. You were mumbling." He said quickly turning an unnoticeable pink.

"I had a dream while I was knocked out. You were in it, would you like to hear it?" she asked, but got silence in return. She sat down and then said, "I'll take that as a yes. Anyways, it was a really short dream, but you were carrying me somewhere. Probably getting ready to throw me over a cliff, ha ha. All of a sudden you stopped and I said 'Don't let go.' I must've been on the bed or something because I was actually really comfortable, and when I woke up…I was on a bed." Snape gave her an odd look, but in his mind the pieces were coming together. He felt almost as if he had been complimented, but concealed it well with the frown he always had on his face. He would probably never tell her that he had carried her body to the hospital wing, but he was sure some student would idiotically bring it up.

The two of them ate dinner then got ready for bed. Charly noticed a small glass of amber liquid in Snape's hand as he sat down on his bed.

"What's that you're drinking?" she asked pointing at his drink.

"Just a little something that I always drink on the first day." He said and then took a sip.

"May I try some?" Charly asked and without responding a glass floated to her hands. She took a sip and grimaced.

"Agh! Wow…tastes a lot like…brandy." She coughed and Snape laughed.

"Seems to me like you can't handle a bit of Brandy." His smirk noticeable.

"Hold on, if you would have told me it was brandy, my reaction would have been different." She said then noticed his smirk and asked slyly, "Is that a smirk on your face, professor?" Snape frowned quickly and Charly began laughing. She drained her glass clean of brandy, watched it refill itself, and then drained that one too.

"You need to pace yourself…" he said quietly and Charly hiccupped.

"Considering how my day went, I don't think this will hurt." she laughed and Snape smirked some more. "Alright then, how would you describe today?"

"Splendid," he replied and then took a long sip from his glass. Charly grimaced as she drained her third glass and gave a smile.

"I'll say! I've never had such a wonderful day," Charly laughed, the alcohol going to her head. Snape took notice and grabbed the glass away from her grasp.

"I think that's enough for you." He mumbled, but she paid no attention.

"Can I ask you a personal question, sir?" Snape did not respond to this, but Charly asked anyway, "Are you, ahem, 'consorting' with anybody?"

"Why should I tell you, Ms. Chip?" His glass refilled itself as he finished his first.

"Well, if you brought her here, I could clean up the place a bit." She then put on her best British accent, "S'a tad dray-ree en heh-yuh."

"I assure you if I _were_ consorting with anyone, they wouldn't be seeing this place."

"So that means you're not seeing anyone."

"I never said…" He started, but was cut off.

"Actually, you said 'if I _were_ consorting'…so that means that you aren't." she said with a sly look and Snape was at a loss for words. He downed his second drink.

"_She's right you know_," a little voice in his head said, but another little voice was opposing him.

"_That doesn't mean anything! A woman is the LAST thing I need to be dealing with now._"

"_You have her around, what's that mean?_"

"_She has nothing to do with this! She was supposed to be a man!_"

"_For someone who was supposed to be a man, she sure doesn't look like one_."

"_Well, of course not! She's a woman with long hair, and delicate hands…_" his last thought before noticing Charly eyeing him peculiarly. He raised an eyebrow and she continued staring at him.

"Sorry, I was just admiring the look of deep thought on your face." She explained, but Snape still kept his eyebrow raised.

"Alright…maybe you should go to sleep." He suggested and then thought, "_I've had enough drunk Charlotte for one night._"

"Doesn't sound like a bad idea." Charly yawned and then crawled into Snape's bed.

"That's my bed Ms. Chip."

"Well now, that bed is much more comfortable than my own."

"Ugh…_Wingardium Leviosa_" Snape muttered and then levitated Charly to her own bed.

"Well now! One unfair treatment after another…I demand equality!" she yelled as she adjusted herself onto her bed. Snape finished his third cup of brandy, and then went to lie down. As he put his head down he noticed a sweet aroma coming from his pillow, and inhaled it in deep. Charly was trying to sleep when she heard deep breathing, and in her state she thought Snape was already asleep. "Whoa…and I thought I was a lightweight…" she thought out loud and then leapt up out of her bed.

"What," the sharpness of his voice made Charly jump right out of her skin, "are you doing?"

"I was just," her laughter getting in the middle of her sentences, "seeing if you passed out."

"I assure you I know my limits when I drink." Snape uttered. He got out of his bed, led Charly to her own, and made sure that she was laying down before heading back to his. After a hectic first day, the two for them eventually fell asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

"_I don't want to wake up…just one day off, please._" Snape pleaded to himself keeping his eyes shut. His eyes opened slowly and the ceiling was the only thing he saw, but then he felt something rustle on his chest. When his eyes darted towards the source he saw a large bundle of dark hair, and keep in mind it wasn't chest hair. Trying to remain silent he looked to Charly's bed, and noticed it was empty. She started to move again, pressing her face into his chest even more, but Snape had to stop this. He nudged Charly a bit until her eyes flittered open, and then he heard her laugh quietly.

"Good morning." She said and then grabbed one of his hands.

"_What the hell?_" Snape thought as she kissed his hand softly. He could then feel her lifting her body off of him. All the heat that she had been providing him vanished as she stood up, but there was a surprise for him. She was naked. Awed by the sight of her body he could feel himself becoming aroused. Charly turned around and then walked over to him. Although he was fully clothed she pounced on him and attacked his mouth with her own. This was by far the most passionate kiss Snape had ever received, but it was a shame that he had no idea why Charly was doing it. Closing his eyes, he went along with it just to see what would happen, but when he reopened his eyes he was kissing air.

"Ugh…" Snape heard something groan in the bathroom. It was Charly, but she sounded like she was sick.

"_It was just a dream…but it was so real._" Snape thought to himself as he headed over to the bathroom door. He knocked on it and received a grunt in return, "Are you all right?"

"Does it…ugh…does it sound like I'm alright?" Charly snapped, and then vomited into the toilet.

"That's what happens when you drink too much alcohol. I have a potion that will make you feel much better. Are in a state where I can see you or would you prefer me to wait."

"Just bring the potion in, please." She sounded desperate, so Snape retrieved the potion. He slowly opened the door and peered over to where Charly was bent over the toilet. He ignored the smell and walked over to her, but she didn't respond at first.

"Here you go…" Snape said hesitantly as he handed her the vile. As fast as she could, Charly drank the potion and gave a sigh of relief. She turned to face Snape and gave a reluctant smile, but Snape gave her an awkward look.

"Thank you…I think I can handle myself now." She said, giving him an excuse to leave. As soon as he was out of the bathroom Charly stood up and looked into the mirror. She looked fine, except for the dark circles underneath her eyes. She stopped looking at herself just long enough to notice the door was still open, and Snape was sitting on the edge of his bed staring at the ground. "Are _you _alright?" she asked and he looked up drowsily.

"Yes, I'm fine." He lied and covered his left forearm. "_No, not now._" The Dark Mark was burning, and he knew what it meant. A Death Eaters meeting was established, and he had no choice but to go. He looked up at Charly who was staring at him with a look of concern, but he had to go see Dumbledore. "I have to go talk to the headmaster about some recent issues…erm…I _should_ be back half way through breakfast." Snape explained while gathering his robes, "Just in case I don't return by the first class…have them do what they did yesterday. Except have them summarize the chapter instead of writing what they thought of it. It should be Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff first years."

"Umm…sure." Charly replied slowly, and by this time Snape was starting to open the door, "Wait…why are you so rushed?" Snape rolled his eyes and then remembered she didn't know his situation.

"I'll explain later…now I've got to go." He said and with that, he left. Charly was baffled, and was still registering the situation. After she had gathered her thoughts she got ready for breakfast. Since she didn't feel like picking up after herself she left all her clothes on the floor, and then changed into her regular day robes. She put her hair in a loose ponytail last, and then left for breakfast. It was awkward walking without Snape next to her. Her strides were quickly paced so it didn't take her long to get to the Great Hall. Once she made it to the staff table she put a small amount of food on her plate, but was more focused on her thoughts.

"_I wonder where he went to in such a hurry…this is strange_." She thought to herself and noticed she was fiddling with her food. After taking a few bites she convinced herself she wasn't hungry, and then stood up. Feeling light headed she grabbed the table and waited for her vision to become clear again. She started walking towards the dungeons without making eye contact with anyone, but on her way down the corridor she ran into Dumbledore.

"Good Morning Charly."

"Good Morning, sir. Is Snape through talking with you?"

"Oh yes…he wanted me to tell you that he won't be back until tomorrow," he explained and Charly's stomach churned. She didn't want to have to teach _all_ the classes by herself, and she didn't even have a lesson plan to go by. Dumbledore continued, "He conjured up a few lesson plans on his desk." The weight was lifted off Charly's shoulders with those words, and a grin was placed on her face.

"Alright, I'll just go look them over." She said and started walking, "Thank you, sir." Dumbledore merely nodded and continued walking in the opposite direction. The thought of having the class to herself made her feel as if she were promoted. She walked through the classroom to her private chambers and started humming a tune. She strolled into the bathroom and started fiddling with her makeup when her stomach growled ferociously at her. "_I should have eaten more…_" she thought and then remembered she had packed some snacks. Charly walked over to her dresser and opened the top drawer slowly, but all that could be seen were undergarments. Reaching to the bottom, she felt around until she heard crackling; and with that she grabbed the granola bar. She tore off the wrapper as if it were a present and scarfed it down. Feeling satisfied for the time being, Charly went out into the classroom and noticed three students already sitting down. It was going to be a long day without Snape helping.

Snape had apparated to Malfoy Manor, and was waiting patiently for Lucius to call him forth. A whole hour had past when he finally appeared at the top of the stairs.

"Sorry to take so long. I had to make sure everything was arranged." He smirked as he walked down.

"What does the Dark Lord wish us to do?" Snape asked sounding agitated.

"Surely his top ranked follower would know before me?"

"Lucius, I'm not here to play games. Now what does he want us for?"

"I'm _not_ playing games Severus. I'm sure he wants us for something truly important, but we'll find out when we get there."

"Get where?"

"You idiot. The muggle house he has in Belgium!" Lucius barked and Snape's eyes glared evilly at his face.

"Don't call me an idiot. I'm the one risking it without getting caught." Snape retorted, but Lucius merely smirked.

"Before we start getting into a brawl, why don't we start heading towards the meeting." Lucius growled and Snape agreed. They both apparated in front of a house that looked as if it were about to collapse and started walking towards the door. The paint was fading away and the door looked like it would fall off as Snape knocked on it.

"Nice to see you Severus!" A hooded man said when the door opened, and shook hands with him. As Snape walked into the house he was shot with a flash of light, and when he looked down at himself he was in a Death Eaters uniform. Behind him, another flash of light was seen and Lucius also had a uniform on. Apparently they were the last to arrive because the man standing at the door locked it and then led them into a different room, but this room was filled with only seven other Death Eaters.

"Are we the only ones left?" Snape asked as he saw the very few people surrounding him.

"Unfortunately," An eerie voice echoed throughout the room causing everyone to fall to one knee. Voldemort appeared in the middle of the room and glanced around, "Thank you, my loyal servants, for coming to this meeting. You may rise, and I would like to speak to Severus privately." He drew a square on the floor with his wand and a stair case leading into a dungeon of some sort appeared. Motioning Snape to follow him, Voldemort went downstairs with Snape at his ankles. When they reached the bottom it was like an underground temple with a set of stairs leading to a high back chair made completely of stone.

"Yes sir?" Snape finally managed to get out.

"I hear you have a new assistant." Voldemort began and then conjured up a chair for Snape to sit on. He was curious why the Dark Lord would have interest in Charly, but let him continue before interrupting. "Describe her for me, would you?"

"Of course, my Lord. She is a bit shorter than I with shoulder-length dark red hair and…"

"No, no, no. I mean personality attributes…or better yet; do you think we would have any use of her?"

"Use, my lord?"

"Would she be a good Death Eater?"

"Oh…I'm not sure. She hasn't done much in order to prove any of her characteristics, and personally, I think she's a fiery little…"

"Fine, fine. Your mission for the next few weeks is to get close enough to her where you can tell if she's of any use to us." Voldemort instructed and Snape nodded.

"But sir, what of Potter?" he asked

"I need him to think he's safe…so we'll just leave him out of the picture for a while. Now go back upstairs and discuss our matter with the others. Also, ask them to try and recruit as many people as possible."

"Of course, my lord." Snape replied and then headed back up the stairs, but Voldemort stayed on his throne.

"_We need more followers…_" he thought and then Charly popped into his mind, "_She could be of great use…possibly better than Severus. No trace of anything on her record…perfect._" He continued to contemplate her into his mind while Snape was still making his way up the stairs. The square that he stepped out of disappeared, and then Lucius greeted Snape.

"What are the Dark Lords wishes?" he asked and the other Death Eaters surrounded him.

"He wants the rest of you to try and get as many people as you can to come back to the Death Eaters. As for me, he wants me to get my assistant to join us."

"That Chip woman?" Lucius asked and Snape nodded, "Draco's told me about her…says she's quite the looker." Not being able to see the awkwardness on Snape's face, Lucius continued, "Mailed me an owl yesterday telling me how she was found underneath your desk after you came from under it too. He also mentioned she was a snapper."

"Yes, yes…she is a foul little thing." Snape mentioned, trying to get the desk situation out of his mind. Lucius, on the other hand, wanted to continue the topic.

"What _was _she doing underneath your desk?"

"She's an idiot, and doesn't know how to manage her wand," Snape stammered and Lucius took full advantage of how uncomfortable he was.

"Wait, she doesn't know how to manage her wand…or yours?" Lucius grinned devilishly, but Snape ignored it.

She somehow got my robes attached to the desk, and then when she tried to undo it she managed to get herself stuck under it too. After your son's class walked in, she figured out how to undo it…so it looked…awkward." Lucius' smile remained as he pressed the subject further on.

"Not like you wouldn't have enjoyed it though, eh Severus?" He paused and then an idea popped into his head, "The Dark Lord said he wants her to become a Death Eater right?"

"Yes, but I have to get closer to her…so she trusts me."

"Of course, but why don't we have a ball…like a Yule Ball sort of thing. This would give you the perfect opportunity to get 'close', and the best part is…she would have no idea!"

"Then how am I supposed to get her to become a Death Eater? She seems like the sort of person who would be on Potter's side."

"We'll deal with that later…at the moment all I care about is getting her closer to you."

"Why don't we make this interesting then…I say 50 Galleons she'll avoid me and go help Potter."

"As for me 50 Galleons go for her…falling in_ love_ with you and joining us."

"Deal…and you'd better be a man of your word."

"Severus, you know very well I am." Lucius said and then walked out the door. Snape did the same, but first zapped on some regular muggle clothes. He didn't want to go back to Hogwarts just yet, and he _did _say he would be gone until the following morning. Snape started walking down a street towards a town of some sort and while window shopping he thought about what he was doing.

"_Charly couldn't possibly want to be a Death Eater…hell, I'm not even a loyal one. Or am I? I do all the dirty work as to not raise suspicion, but I do it with Dumbledore knowing…that's not being faithful, but what if I do this and don't tell him? He'd be furious…or maybe he'd understand…this is ridiculous. As if I'm not going through enough as it is…now I have to bring my pitiful, easily drunk assistant into this._" Snape had all his thoughts rushing through his brain when he realized his stomach was yelling at him. He hadn't eaten breakfast, and it was well past noon. He spotted a small café, ordered a small lunch, and continued to think.

Charly was in the middle of observing some Ravenclaw 7th years make an Exhilarating Calmer potion, and had completely forgotten Snape.

"_Well, not completely,_" she thought and then looked at a tall blonde girl's potion. "_Another 'O'…how am I supposed to teach these kids anything if they know _everything_?_" Charly dismissed the class early and then started walking down one of the corridors. That was her last class and she needed to take a stroll. Only a few students were roaming the corridors and Charly was enjoying the peace, but it was all shattered when she heard bickering.

"What are you doing out of class, Mudblood?"

"That's none of your business, and stop calling me that."

"I don't think so, it suits you well."

"I believe arrogant git suits you!"

"Both of you need to stop." Charly interrupted when she found Hermione and Draco around the corner. Hermione turned bright red but Draco just scoffed.

"What are you going to do about it, tell Professor Snape?" He hissed and Charly was ready to take disciplinary action.

"Excuse me? 15 points from Sl…"

"Go ahead! S'not like you're a real professor anyway." This last comment sent Charly over the edge.

"You are out of line, boy!" she exclaimed and then grabbed his ear. She started pulling him down the corridor when Charly remembered Hermione, "Erm…Granger right? You're free to go; I just need to deal with this one." Hermione graciously left and Charly continued dragging Malfoy along. When they finally reached the dungeons she shoved him down into the seat closest to Snape's desk.

"Wait until my father hears about this." Draco mumbled under his breath just loud enough for Charly to hear.

"I don't care for your father, but I'm sure he would like to hear of this mess." She stated while taking out a piece of parchment.

"Go ahead, he'll probably congratulate me." Draco commented while Charly scribbled down a message to his father.

"I'm sure he will…" she uttered and then folded up the piece of parchment, "You can leave now, but I will see you tomorrow at 6 for detention."

"But that's during dinner…"

"Exactly!" she cut him off and shoved him out the door. Charly did not want to deal with anymore students that day so she headed off into the bathroom. With a flick of her wand some candles were lit and the bathtub was filling up with different scented soaps. Looking at the tub she thought, "_This is huge__!__ And all the bubbles make it smell wonderful!_" As she took off her clothes she inhaled the scent of the lilac candles that were spreading around the room. Slowly, Charly dipped into the tub and began her relaxation.

It was getting dark and Snape was tiring of Belgium, but he wasn't quite sure what to do.

"_I could stay here for the night, but there's really no point. I should probably work on this Charlotte case anyway._" He thought to himself and then made his final decision. Snape was heading back to Hogwarts…unexpected. He apparated to the outside of the castle and then strolled his way through the front gates until he made it through the front door. Taking his time, he paced himself into the dungeons with his robes billowing behind him as usual, but when he walked into the private chambers it was different. The aroma was different, it was…lilac-ish. Then the clothes on the floor were a problem for him, but since there were only a few he picked them up. Once he thought he put everything in the hamper he noticed something pink sticking out from underneath his bed and he went towards it. Snape bent down to retrieve the object, but when he picked it up he closed his eyes and held it above his head. Shaking his head he thought, "_Well, this is just great. I'm holding her knickers and…_" He was stopped when he heard the door open and when he opened his eyes, he quickly regretted coming back so soon. Well, not entirely. Charly was standing in the door frame with her hair damp, and wearing nothing but a towel and a dropped jaw. With both their eyes wide they just stared at each other, but Charly broke the awkward moment. She ran to him, took her bra out of his grasp, and then bolted back into the bathroom. Charly was devastated and highly embarrassed, but Snape was confused. He wasn't sure if he should be aroused or shocked. To tell the truth, he was half and half.


	4. Chapter 4

Charly had the most uncomfortable sleep of her life that night. She fell asleep in the bathtub, not wanting to face Snape. The great thing about it was that she had already washed herself the night before, but she didn't take into account that Snape hadn't. There was a knock on the door that awoke Charly, and then she remembered where she was.

"Ms. Chip?" Snape's voice was faint, but still had its deep and rich tone. She slowly got out of the tub and cracked open the door, only exposing her head.

"Yes?" Charly's voice cracked a little.

"I was wondering if I could use the bathroom for fifteen minutes or so." Snape suggested and then added, "Unless…you want to stay in there longer."

"Oh, no, that's all right." She stammered and then transfigured the bra she grabbed from him last night into a pullover. Charly exited and as soon as he was in the bathroom she immediately started to change, not want the incident to repeat itself. Once ready, Snape walked out of the bathroom door.

"Are you ready for breakfast?" He asked

"Sure…" Charly sighed and then followed Snape out the door. As they walked to the Great Hall it was completely silent, and the two of them didn't make eye contact once. Inside everyone was seated at their regular table, but when Snape and Charly were seated a piece of parchment appeared in front of them. Snape picked up the piece of parchment and read it silently.

_Dear Severus,_

_You are invited to the Nyplin Ball along with the rest of Hogwarts. Thanks to Lucius Malfoy's funding, Hogwarts is able to host it on Halloween._

_Requirements:_

_Costume_

_Invitation_

_An escort_

_Wishful Thoughts,_

_Knips_

"Wow…" Charly sighed and Snape gave her a glance.

"_I didn't think he'd do it __**this**__ fast, and she's already excited._" Snape thought. Charly looked as if she were amazed by the news then she gave Snape a smile.

"This letter is written by a house elf isn't it?" she asked and Snape's thoughts were screwed up.

"Is that what you were getting all worked up over?"

"Yes, I think it's astonishing how well they can make sentences with no education."

"I'm sure anything is astonishing in your feeble mind." He mumbled and Charly rolled her eyes. They ate their breakfast in peace and then went on with the day. That is, until 6 o'clock came around. Charly was getting into her dinner robes when the door flew open. Snape rushed out of his private chambers to see what is was only to find Draco sitting in the back of the dungeon.

"Why are you here Mr. Malfoy? Shouldn't you be at dinner?" Snape asked

"I would be, but that arrogant assistant of yours gave me detention!" He yelled, and at that moment Charly had walked in.

"His _arrogant_ assistant believes you deserved it very much." She chimed in with power. Snape looked over his shoulder at her, raised an eyebrow, and then looked back at Draco.

"Why did you get this detention Mr. Malfoy?" Snape coyly asked.

"She told my father that I had used terrible language with someone." He spat out and then Charly chimed in once more.

"He had called Miss Granger a mudblood, and _I _take offense to that because I am not of pure blood," she stated and then Malfoy rolled his eyes.

"I don't need a history of your life." He mumbled. Charly was about to yell at him when Snape held his hand up. He didn't see the point in giving Malfoy a detention at this hour, but motioned for Charly to take care of it as he went back into his private chambers.

"Alright, I suggest you write an apology note to Miss Granger," She said sternly, "And make it believable, or else I'll make you write another."

"_I hate her…old bat wouldn't make me do this if she wasn't around." _Malfoy thought as he bullshitted his way through the letter. Handing it to Charly when he finished, she dismissed him. She knew it wasn't the truth, but it was the best they were going to get out of him. Snape walked out and looked for Draco, but couldn't find him.

"Where'd he go?" He asked slightly confused. Holding up the letter Charly responded.

"He wrote a decent letter, so I let him go." Soon after, they were on their way to dinner. Besides the fact that Draco kept shooting the two of them nasty looks, everything turned out nice the rest of the night.

After their first week passed by, Charly and Snape were ready for a relaxing weekend. The two of them walked around the courtyard just chatting with one another, and students were starting to take notice. They had never seen any professor have a conversation with Snape that didn't involve the school.

"I wasn't much of the social type when I was younger. A lot of kids made fun of me because I liked to be different…how 'bout you? Were you as bright and cheery of a child as you are now?" Charly asked with a strong sense of curiosity, but the idea of Snape's past made him shudder.

"I'd rather not talk about it." Was the simple answer she received. Charly wanted to push the subject on, but she noticed something in Snape's eyes. She saw it and cocked her head to the side, but not wanting to make him uncomfortable she changed the subject.

"SoOoO…Halloween's coming up. Any plans beside the ball?"

"Halloween isn't for another month or so, and I never have anything planned for that time of year. All we do is have a feast, and now we're going to have this…ball."

"Sounds fun," she responded and then the winter holiday popped into her head, "Do you go anywhere for the winter?

"No, I live my full year here." He answered and Charly looked at the ground. This wasn't exactly how she wanted their conversation to be.

"I've heard of muggle teachers going on vaca…holiday together to do research. We could try it,"she offered aloud without putting any thought into it, and Snape stared her straight in the eye. As he stared into her eyes he could see her pupils dilating with the new light, and he could also see the sincerity within them. But he wasn't going to let his guard down for one second, even if she did seem "sincere."

"Now tell me, why would _I_ want to spend my holiday with _you_?" He spat out and Charly glared at him.

"Is there something that you just despise about me, professor?" Charly asked coldly and Snape's lip curled.

"I don't _despise _you," was all he managed to get out. He left the sentence hanging all by itself which infuriated Charly.

"I think you do, but you don't have the courage to admit it. If I were you I'd watch your veritaserum supply, _sir_." And with that she walked off, again, leaving Snape speechless; and once again in front of a bunch of students.

"_She's not serious is she?_" he thought to himself and then rushed to his supply source. He quickly scanned the shelves until he found his veritaserum. Giving a sigh of relief he turned around only to stare Charly in the eyes again.

"Good job…professor. You beat me." She said flatly and Snape was in utter shock.

"You were actually going to subdue me, weren't you?" he stammered and Charly cocked an eyebrow.

"Does that mean you have something to hide?"

"Well…" he started gathering up the right words, "I know how to counteract it, which I'm sure you don't have the mental capacity to do!" Charly's eyes widened, and Snape was really starting to get into it. "Yes, you wouldn't know when I'd…slip…some into your drink."

"You try…you just try. I'll be sure to get you before you get me." She scathed and then left, slamming the door behind her.

"_Why is she the one who always leaves?_" Snape thought and then opened the door, but hit something. It was Knips, the house elf, and she was knocked over.

"I have a message for you Professor." She said as she stood up.

"What is it?" He asked irritably.

"Mr. Malfoy would like to know of Miss Chip's reaction to the Nyplin Ball."

"Ugh…tell him she hasn't put much thought into it."

"Mr. Malfoy also told me if you were to say something like that Knips should ask you to read her mind."

"Honestly?"

"Yes, sir."

"Very well, tell Lucius I will send him an owl before morning." Snape said and then made his way down to the dungeons. Once he entered his private chambers he noticed the bathroom light on, and he knocked on the door.

"What do you want?" Charly barked from the other side. Snape wanted to retaliate, but thought of a better idea.

"I just wanted to apologize for my actions earlier." He said slowly and then the door cracked open.

"This isn't just some wise ass joke is it?" She asked, peering outside the door. Snape looked as sincerely as possible and shook his head, "You've said some pretty awful things to me, you know?"

"I know," he had to breathe deep in order to get his words out, "and for that I am very sorry." Charly opened the door wide and gave a smile even wider.

"I knew you'd come around."

Snape found that smiling after that comment even harder than any of his Death Eater missions. He wanted to retaliate, but he knew it would be best just to grin and bear it.

"How about that Nyplin Ball?" He asked trying to change the subject, "I never actually read the flyer."

"I'm so excited for it! Here, here, let me read it to you!" she exclaimed and then read the flyer out loud for him.

"_Lucius, really? An escort? Could you be any more obvious?_" Snape thought as he listened to the last words. Breathing in heavily after finishing the letter Charly beamed with absolute joy, but then she put on a serious face.

"Anyways, about winter break," she started and Snape cringed, "It might be better for me to get to know my surroundings here first, rather than venture off into unknown territory." Relief rushed through Snape's entire body, because he thought she was going to ask him again.

"That would mean you're staying here, am I correct?" Snape asked and Charly rolled her eyes.

"Weren't you listening? That would mean, yes, I _am_ staying here." She said and then sat down on her bed.

"_Perfect…_" Snape thought and then went into his office. Shortly after he sat down Charly popped her head into the room.

"Umm…well, I was just wondering…this is sort of awkward asking. Do you have a muggle as a parent...one at least?" Charly's lips quivered and you could see the sudden regret from asking.

"Um…" Snape stalled. He didn't like digging into his past very much, but he thought it would make their situation a bit easier, "Yes, but I don't like to talk about my past very much…for future reference."

"Oh…alright," Charly said and as she was about to leave, she thought of the ball. "Umm…Professor?"

"Yes, Miss Chip?"

"Wow…I feel even more awkward asking this, but um…since I don't really know any of the other professors, do you think we could escort each other to the ball?" Charly's face turned completely red as she waited for a response. Snape couldn't resist putting a smirk on his face, but then answered.

"I believe we shall. Now if you'll excuse me I have an important letter to write." He said and then Charly left. Snape took out a piece of parchment and a quill and wrote a letter to Lucius.

_Dear Lucius,_

_Everything is going according to plan. Miss Chip seems very enthusiastic towards the ball._

_Severus_

When Charly was out of the dungeons Snape snuck up to the Owlery and sent the letter. It wasn't until later that night, when he was back in his private chambers, that he saw Charly.

"Where have you been all day?" Snape asked curiously

"Conversing with students," Charly responded and then changed into her pajamas. Snape had already changed and was sitting in bed reading a book on elixirs. Once Charly was changed she plopped into bed and almost fell asleep immediately.

"_Speaking to students couldn't have actually worn her out like that._" Snape thought as he saw her fall asleep. After about 30 pages in his book, he levitated it and put it back on the shelf. Contemplating what Charly had really been doing, he slowly drifted into slumberland.


End file.
